You could doze off counting all the seals!

Very light variable breeze, mainly overcast with some sunny spells

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Ringing report from John:

A very quiet ringing session this morning. Three nets set but only five birds caught in nearly four hours. New birds were:

Lesser Redpoll

Willow Warbler

Sedge Warbler

Grasshopper Warbler. This bird was caught on the east side while a second bird was singing on the west side.

also a re-trap Coal Tit.

Heysham skear - low water 08:00

Just a quick check

Eider c30

Great Crested Grebe 8

Red-breasted Merganser 1

Turnstone c80

Swallow 4 east

Pete watched the sea for an hour as the tide was flooding:

Mammals:

Grey Seal 10 drifting in with the tide - a high count for Lancashire.

Harbour Porpoise 2 just beyond the buoys out from the north wall.

Birds:

Sandwich Tern 8

Guillemot 8

Razorbill 1

A quick check of the south shore located

Mediterranean gull 1 second calendar year

2cy Med Gull ocean edge foreshore

Middleton Nature Reserve - early afternoon

Mute swan - 5 on the main pond. The "no swimming" pond pair have 8 chicks. The other nesting pair are still sitting on the nest, but a brief interlude allowed a look and unless the nest is very deep it is empty.

The "no swimming" pond mute family

The other "active" nest appears empty,
at least there shouldn't be any unpleasant battling this year.

Gadwall 5 males

Mallard 3 males (the female with chicks not seen today)

Cetti's warbler- just the "no swimming" male heard

Swallow 5

Swift 3

We have just received the details of the Herring Gull seen in the Harbour 1st April.

LIfe history of Herring Gull Left: White N:85C on Dark Green ring and Right: Metal

Date	Activity	Location	Movement	Duration
05 Jul 2019	Ringed as a nestling	Bowland - Brennand West,  UK. SD640552
01 Apr 2021	Colour marks read	Heysham Harbour,  Lancashire	26km  NNW	1y 8m 27d